A Liverpool drugs mule who was pursued by police and found to have £16,000 of cocaine and heroin has been jailed.
Sean Johnson appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted acting as a drug courier between England and Scotland to pay off a drug debt.
The 27-year-old was seen by police acting suspiciously in the Sheddocksley area of the city before they chased him through woodland.
Johnson, who lives in Liverpool, then began to throw items from his pocket that later turned out to be drugs.
Accused was suspected of having ‘stash’ of drugs
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that on the morning of November 25 last year police detectives were deployed within the rural area of parkland to the rear of Barvas Walk.
At about 9.30am, they became aware of Johnson acting suspiciously within the area and suspected he “may be in the process of tending to a stash of controlled drugs”.
“Officers made their way towards the accused with the intention of stopping and detaining him for a drug search,” Mrs Spark said.
“As they made their way towards him, the accused made off through the wooded area.”
“Detectives made attempts to stop the accused, who was seen to discard items from his pocket.”
Johnson was arrested by police, who then conducted a search of the area.
That hunt turned up various bags and jars containing white and brown powder that had been thrown on the ground.
The drugs were forensically analyzed and the white substance was found to be cocaine, while the brown substance was found to be heroin.
The total weight of cocaine recovered was 87.13 grams, with a total street value of £9,810.
The total weight of heroin recovered was 180.33g, with a total street value of £6,170.
Johnson pleaded guilty to one charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and a second charge of supplying heroin.
Prison sentence ‘almost inevitable’
Defence solicitor Michael Burnett told the court that his client was “remorseful” for having got involved in the sale of drugs.
“He seems like an intelligent young man who understands how he got here,” Mr Burnett said.
“He became a drug user and fell into debt and acting as a drug courier was an opportunity to get rid of that debt by bringing them from England to Scotland.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Johnson: “These are matters which almost inevitably result in a custodial sentence as you were involved in the supply of two Class A drugs.
“I have reached the conclusion that only a period of imprisonment is appropriate.”
Sheriff Buchanan sentenced Johnson, of Foxhill Close, Liverpool, to two years in prison.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
